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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · temple · bear · root · rush · vault · tear · racket

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com